Aircraft-launched temporary drifting mine



Jan. 16, 1923. 1,442,345

- c. L. KEE.

'A!RCRAFT LAUNCHED TEMPORARY DRIFTI NG MINE.

V ORIGINALFILED ,ULY 23, 1912. 4 SHEETS-4115B 1.

Jan. 16, 1923.

I 1,442,345. L. KEE. I AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED TEMPORARY DRIFTING MINE. v

ORIGINALFILED JULY23, I917- 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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AIRCRAFT-LAUNCHED TEMPORARY DRIFTING MINE.

ORIGINALFILED JULY 23. i917- 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

. 54460441701 Chas. L .Kee @W MW Jan. 16, 1928.

c. L. KEE. I AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED TEMPORARY DRIFTING MINE.

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Patented Jan. 16,

' UNITED STATES 1 ,Hapaa CHARLES L. KEE, 0F PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA.

AIRCRAFT-LAUNCHED TEMPORARY DRIFTING MINE.

Application filed July 23, 1917, Serial N0. 182,203. Renewed June 4, 1921. Serial No. 475,097.

To all u'lmm if nu1 i/(-'(mccru.'

Be it known that l. GIL-HMS L. Kan, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portsmouth. in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented a new anl uscful- .-\ircraft-lmunched Temporary Drifting Mine. of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a mine which may be launched from an aircraft and which is intended for use as a defensive mine. It is especially designed as a means for protection from submarines. it is my object to provide a mine of this new type which may be anchored from the surface of the water at any desired predetermined depth. It is further my object to provide a drifting mine which is only tentporarily anchored from the surface, in order that it may not prove a menace to ordinary shipping. as it will sink after drifting -a fe'v-.' m'inutes. It is further my object to pro- 'vide means for regulating the time which the mine may be anchored from the surface of the water. It is a particular object of my invention to provide an aircraftlaunched drifting uune wlnc-h ls fired by mechanical means on contact with .a sub merged vessel. It is further my object to provide novel means for launching such a mine from aircraft. it is also my object to provide novel tiring devices which operate with the-least possible friction. It is further my object to provide a mine which on striking thexvater assumes a reverse position from that in which it is launched. thereby placing the firing mechanism in condition to be operated on contact with the mine or with the cable by which the mine is suspended from the surface anchor. It is also an object of my invention to provide novel means for preventing the parachute envelope from becoming entangled in the mechanism of the mine when it strikes the water and to keep the envelope afloat so that it may be gathered up and used over again.

I attain the objects of my invention by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings. in which.

Figure l is a side elevation of the mine. descending through the air with the para chute atta hed to check its descent;

- Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the mine partly inverted in the water, with the parachute detached from the mine; I

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a plurality of mines in operative position in the water. the parachute envelope being detached and floating on the surface;

F g. 4 is a vertical section, partly in elevation. through the mine and the launching tube on line 4-4 of Figure 5;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line 5:" of Figure 4;

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan of the mine with the launching tube in section on line 66 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a detail of detonating link 43;

Fig Slis a detail plan of the detonating carriage showing the plunger in released firing position;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertical section, partly in elevation taken at right angles to Figure 4. with the releasing catch removed from one side;

Fig. 10 is a plan of the parachute float with parachute removed Fig. 11 is a detail sectional view partly in elevation of the means for locking the mine to and releasing it from the launching tube;

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the mechanism shown in Figure 11; and

.'Fig. .l3 is a perspective of the detonating plunger. r

F 1g. 14 is an enlarged tragmentary vertical section of the mechanism for releasing the mine, parachute blocks and blocks on the anchor uprights when the resistance chamber strikes the water. pin 56 being withdrawn by spring 57.

Like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several views. Re-' ferring to the accompanying drawings. I' provide a parachute ll. secured by cords 49 to a parau-hute-fioat C. Float C is releasably attached to the mine I), as shown in Figure 9. The mine is launched from aircraft through a launching'tube A with the mine l) uppermost and with a temporary mine by means of blocks which are attached to uprights Referring to Figure 4. I provide a temporary flotation chamber 1 having a pl rality of removable intake plugs 2 for the gradual admission of water and escape of air from chamber 1 when the mine and drifting anchor enter the water. B employing plugs 2 having orifices of di erent sizes, may adjust the apparatus so as to regulate the time which t main operative before sinking. A plurality of plugs are provided-so that in case that one should be stopped by seaweed or other obstructions the other would allow the device to operate. The bottom of chamber 1 is provided with anti-skidding vanes 3 arranged at right angles to each other. These vanes are about one inch in depth and operate to prevent the mine from overturning too rapidly on entering the water. so that it will not fail to operate the device that releases the cable spool from its locked osition, the resistance of the flotation c amber 1 on entering the water being necessary to effect this result. Secured'to uprights 5, I provide upri hts 4 to which are attached encircling gui ing rings 6 that guide the device as it is'dropped from launching tube A. Uprights 5 and rings 6 of the temporary drifting anchor frame are braced by braces 59, as shown in Fig. 9, member 59 bein oi- L-shape to act as a frame for arachute float C. Uprights 5 are attache to flotation chamber 1 and guide mine D when it leaves the surface anchor as the mine submerges in water. I provide a cable spool 8 which is revolubly mounted between uprights 5. One of the disks of cable spool 8 is provided with slots 9, which are shaped to receive a cable spool latch 10 which is attached to a link 13, the link being pivotally attached by pivot 7 to spool disengaging lever 14. Lever 14-is mounted by pivot 16 to a bracket 15. The freeend of lever 14 is positioned in proximity to mine cable 18 so as to be operated by that member when the flotation chamber 1 strikes the water and its buoyancy causes it to resist the downward movement of the mine above it. Latch 10 is provided with an annular slotted ortion 12 into which the 'U-shaped end of ink |13 projects when the cable spool is locked, and from which it is withdrawn by the movement of lever 14 to unlock the cable spool. When this occurs, spring 11 which is attached to cable spool latch 10 operates to press that member out of engagement with the slotted portion 9 of the cable spool. The spool mechanism is protected by a cover or container 17, as shown in Figure 4. A suitable mine cable is attached to cable spool 8 and has one end secured to the mine. The

length of mine cable 18 determines the distance which the mine will be suspended beneath the surface of the water. Mine D 15 contained within mine casing 19. the exploslve being protected by se 'arating disk 22 and mine cover 20. A flexi 1e washer 21 .abl e float will reis interposed between mine cover 20 and 0: ing 19 to prevent any water seepin throiu into the ex )losive. Attached to mine casi 19 I provite a suitable fastening cap 25 which lower plunger guide tube 24 is remo attached. o the upper end of uidc tube 24 is 1 movably attached a suitable carriage w block 23, over which is mounted a suital plunger controlling carriage .38, which guided by the side flanges 42 of block 23}, shown in Figure 5. Carriage 38 is provld with suitable anti-friction rollers 41 whi enga e against disk 22, as shown in Figi '4. arriage 38 is provided with a no slotted portion consisting of spaced plung. releasing apertures 40 connected by plunger guiding slot sufliciently narrow that the portions of carriage 3h adjaci this slot abut against retaining fingers of plunger 29 and hold it in its inoperati retracted position.

Plunger 29 is provided with lower plun; guides 30, the outer edges of which guide 1 plunger, and the bottom portion of whi presses against plunger spring 28 ll()l(lln 1n compressed position. The plunger is a provided with a plunger head 33 and up guides 34, as shown in Fig. 13. This rangement minimizes the friction of l plunger against guiding tubes 26 and when the plunger is released. The head the plunger is contained within up plunger guide tube 26, in the upper end which is contained the detonating mater 36, whichon being fired by the striking the plunger head against )ercussion cap causes the detonation of tie high cxplos (such as T. N. 'P.), contained within casi 19, and which surrounds upper guide ti 26,-as shown in Figure 4'.

Attached by pivots 44 of plunger contr ling carriage 38 are detonating links 43. l outer ends of which are attached by piv 45' to the projecting firing arms 46 which pivotally attached to the mine. casing 19 pivots 47. as shown in Figure 5. Arms are rovided with slotted portions 48. which uprights 4 engage to guide the dcv and prevent its premature explusion m themine has submerged in water and ill released from immediate engagement w the surface anchor.

Parachute cords 49 are threaded throu guide tubes or thimbles 50 which extc through the parachute float C. as shown Fig. 10. Float C is preferably of ring slu andis providedwith a screen 51. which p vents the parachute envelope from becomi entangled with other mechanism of the mi as it enters the water. Parachute cords are attached to blocks 52 by which the pa chute is releasably engaged by niiuc-holdi lugs 53 and to the slotted blocks 55, wh are attached toor may be integral with l rights 5, as illustrated in Figure 9. The releasable engagement of blocks 52, lugs 53, and upright blocks 55 is effected by means of a novel spring controlled pin 56, which is adapted to be automatically withdrawn from engagement with these members by the operation of a'coil spring 57, when the buoyant anchor strikes the water and the resistance of flotation chamber 1 retards the downward movement of' the temporary drifting anchor with its attached uprights 5, while the mine D with its lugs 53, not being retarded, carry pin 56 downward with the lugsuntil the head of the pin coincides with the enlarged portion of the inverted key-shaped slot 58 in blocks 55. When this occurs, the pin is in 11, which is pivotally attached to a suitable lug 61 secured to the launching tube, as illustrated. The pivoted arm 60 is slotted or bifurcated throughout its upper portion to permit a stud 62, which is attached to the launching tube, to project through its slotted portion. The studhead 66 bears against a tiltable trigger 63, which is provided with a diagonal slot 64, as shown in Figure 12. The tiltable trigger 63 is normally held in locked position .by spring 68. The are through which it may be moved is limited by stops 69 and 70, as shown in Figure 12. I may also provide a suitable retaining ring 65 for the tiltable trigger, which retains the device in engagement with the head 66 of stud 62.

Tiltable trigger 63 normally engages against pivoted arm 60 to hold it in its inward position, supporting lug 53 of the mine casing. Upon the operation of cable 67 ,which is attached'to tiltable trigger 63,that member is moved to a position where diagonal slot 64.

comes into alignment with head 66 of the stud 62, allowing the-tiltable trigger to be released from its engagement with pivoted arm 60, allowing that member to swing out of engagement with lug 53 attached to the mine casing D, and thus drop the mine, parachute, and anchor from the launching tube. The means above described for releasably supporting the mine and anchor within the launching tube operates as a safety device to prevent a possible accidental or premature release of the mine from the launching tube, in consequence of vibration produced by the aircraft.

It is within the contemplation of my invention to make any change in the combination and arrangement of parts falling within the appended claims. I may provide cable spools with either slotted or perforated disks, the purpose of employing perforated dlsksbeing to make the device lighter.

In operation, the mine is releasable from a launching tube carried by the aircraft by pulling cable 67, which tilts trigger 63 so as to disengage it from the head 66 of stud 62, and thereby release pivoted arm 60, which swings out of engagement with lugs 53, by which the mine is supported. While in the launching tube and in the air, the weight of the temporary anchor hanging by uprights 5 on pins 56 keeps the mine, parachute, and anchor locked together. When the mine strikes the water, the resistance of the flotation chamber 1 raises the'uprights 5 and their attached blocks 55 so that the spring actuated pin 56 is moved by the mine casing lugs 53 into alignment with the enlarged portion of the inverted key-shapedslot in block 55 allowing the pin 56 to fiy out from its engagement with mine lugs 53. upright blocks 55, and parachute blocks 52, thereby disengaging the parachute from the mine and the mine from the surface anchor. The parachute envelope B settles on the parachute float C remaining on the surface of the water. The resistance, of flotation chamber 1 on striking the water and opposing the weight of mine D above it causes the mine to move downwardly and press the upper end of pivoted lever 14, thereby raising the link 13, which is attached to the opposite end of lever 14. When link 13 is raised out of engagement with the slotted portion 12 of cable spool latch 10, that member, actuated by spring 11, is withdrawn from its engagement in the slotted portion 9 of cable spool 8. The cable spool is thus released so that cable 18 may unwind and allow the mine to sink until the cable has run out its full length, at which distance the mine remains suspended beneath the surface of the water from the floating anchor E. This anchor E is, however, only a temporary floating body, because intakes -2 permit of the gradual admission of water into flotation chamber 1 so-that aftera short period the mine, which is designed as a weapon against submarines, warships and other craft, will sink after a brief period and thus not become a menaceto other shipping. The pivoted projecting contact or firing arms 46 are serrated on their outer edges, so that even a slight contact with afloating body will operate them. When either of these arms is operated. they move carriage 38 by means of links 43, theredetonating the high explosive 37 of mine D.

Each of the firing arms 46 has a small slot 48 into which guiding uprights 4' project. A guiding frame is formed by uprights 4 and 5 and. rings 6. The engagement of arms 46 in uprights 4 keeps arms 46 and links 43 from moving detonating carriage 38 in either direction until the mine reaches the water and slides out of the frame attached to the temporary drifting anchor. After this has occurred, arms 46 are free to move to a position to release firing plunger 29 on contact-with any submerged body.

In order that the mine may not have buoyancy, slots 14 through which links 43 extend are made of sufiicient size to readily admit water to the hollow portion of casing 19, so that the mine will quickly submerge.

The compression of spring 28 against plunger 29 causes plunger guides 31 to press against carriage 38 sufiiciently to prevent the device from being fired by the movement of the waves, but the pressure of plunger 29 against carriage 38 is not suificient to prevent the detonation of the mine when the projecting pivoted contact arms 46contact with a submerged body.

What I claim is:

1. An aircraft-launched temporary drifting mine, having in combination a parachute, a buoyant float for the parachute, a mine to which the parachute is releasably engaged, a buoyant surface anchor suspended beneath the mine during its descent through the air, a cable operatively connecting the mine and surface anchor, and means for detonating the mine.

2. In an aircraft -launched temporary drifting mine, the combination of a mine,

i a parachute releasably attached to the mine to check its descent through the air, a temporary surface anchor detachably securedv to the mine and from which the mine may be suspended in the water at any predetermined depth, a cable spool carried by the surface anchor, a cable connecting the cable spool to the mine, a cable spool latch re leasably engaging the cable spool, and means for withdrawing the latch from the cable spool when the surface anchor strikes the water.

3. In combination with the apparatus described in claim 2 a pivoted lever positioned to be actuated by the mine in consequence of the resistance to downward movement plunger retaining carriage operable by the links, and a plunger releasably held in retracted position by the carriage, and a spring positioned to actuate'the plunger when that member is released by the carriage, substantially as described.

5. In combination with the apparatus described in claim 4 anti-friction rollers carried by the plunger controlling carriage, to minimize friction, and guides provided on the plunger, to minimize the friction when that member is operated.

6. An aircraft-launched temporary drifting mine, comprising a parachute, a parachute float attached to the parachute, a mine to which the parachute is detachably secured, atemporary buoyant surface anchor, comprising a perforated flotation chamber, anti-skidding vanes depending from the bottom of the flotation chamber to prevent too rapid inverting of the apparatus on striking the water, uprights attached to the fiotation chamber, and positioned to engage and guide the mine as it drops from the surface anchor, outer uprights secured to the inner uprights, guiding rings encircling the outer uprights to provide a rigid. guiding frame, slotted pivoted projecting arms having'slotted portions sli-dably engaging the outer uprights to prevent any lateral movement which might result in accidental explosion of the mine, a resiliently-actuated plunger for detonating the mine, a laterally slidable carriage normally retaining the plunger in retracted position and having a slotted portion shaped to release the plunger when the carriage is moved laterally in either direction, and links operatively connecting the carriage to the opposed pivoted and projecting arms by which the mine is fired on contact with a submerged body.

7. An'aircraft-launched temporary drifting mine, comprising a temporary drifting anchor having a frame, a mine, a parachute, pins releasably engaging the anchor frame, mine and parachute, the mine, anchor and parachute being releasably locked together prior to striking the water by the weight of the temporary drifting anchor upon the pins. I

8. In combination with an aircraftlaunched temporary drifting mine, mechanical means for detonating the mine by contact with any submerged body, comprising projecting curved contact arms pivotally attached at one of their ends to the mine,

links operatively connecting the aforesaid arms to a detonating carriage, the detonating carria e having spaced relatively large slots and aving a narrow connecting slot, a detonating plunger having projecting uide fingers, the plunger normally being old in neutral position by the engagement of the guide fingers against the portion of the detonating carriage adjacent the narrow slot, and a spring bearing against the plunger to actuate it When released from neutral inoperative position by lateral movement of the detonating carriage, a guiding tube Within which the plunger is confined against lateral movement, and antifriction means positioned to minimize fric tion when the detonating carriage is moved laterally, substantially as set forth.

9. In a mine of the type described, the combination of a parachute. a float, a mine 10 releasably attached to the float. means for releasing the mine from the parachute when w the mine contacts with the water, and means attached to the mine to cause same to float when released from the parachute.

CHARLES L. KEE. 

